Sarah MALLAT is an instructor of media studies at the American University of Beirut (AUB). A Lebanese-American, she received her BA in Anthropology and Sociology and her MA in Sociology, both from AUB. Her MA dissertation focused on the growing phenomenon of plastic and cosmetic surgery among upper-class female youth in Beirut. She is currently conducting a study on local activist groups’ use of social and digital media. Her research interests include Lebanese youth subcultures, the effects of popular media and advertising on body image, the roles of digital activism and youth in Arab civil society, and mixed-use urban development and the reclamation of public space in Lebanon.